Unexpected
by corneroffandom
Summary: Ethan decides to try to help Spud get a girlfriend. It doesn't go the way either of them expects it to.


Spud is usually a cheerful guy, always looking on the bright side of things. Even when it hurts. Ethan marvels at this a lot, unable to imagine living like that. It's something he never wants Spud to lose, determined to protect that side of the British man. But there's one subject that always brings Spud some sadness, his eyes dimming a little. Relationships, and how he's never had a girlfriend. Ethan has had a few over the years, none of them lasting too long, but enough to fill that void in his life, keep him from feeling entirely pathetic.

He knows Spud gets belittled and mocked by people for a few things, this being at the top of the list, and he wants to put a stop to it. The women in the business seem like they'd be too much for Spud, too high maintenance, too catty, too... lacking in things that would make for a good first date for him. He ponders it, all of the women that he knows, either firsthand or through other people. "Hm."

He makes a few calls and then looks up when Spud meets him at the restuarant he'd selected for supper that evening, hands full of paperwork. "Hullo, sir," he greets him cheerfully, putting the papers down and settling across from Ethan. "How was your day?"

"Decent," Ethan shrugs, spreading his arms out over the table and watching as Spud adjusts his work and puts it in the chair next to him. "Don't you ever get sick of bringing work home, Spud?"

The British man looks confused, tilting his head. "Eh, no, sir, not really. It gives me something to do at night, and frees up my afternoons so I can assist your aunt in meetings or whatever else she may need done. I enjoy my job."

"I know you do," Ethan sighs, still weighing between the friend of a friend or a woman who he went to school with who had recently gone through a nasty breakup and could probably use some TLC from a diligent, blond haired blue eyed man. He bites his lip and lifts an arm in a half shrug while Spud looks through his menu. _Why not both?_ Deciding to place the calls the next day, he turns his attention to his own menu.

Deciding not to reveal how things came to be directly, Ethan calls Kasey Pattison first, asking if she'd like a tour of his aunt's headquarters. She's not into wrestling at all so she hesitates for a moment but then agrees, probably looking for _something_ to do to keep from sitting at home over the weekend. At the last minute, he calls her back and explains that something had come up but that his best friend would be showing her around the building instead. When he calls Spud, it's clear Spud is bogged down in day to day business at the offices but he agrees reluctantly to show Kasey around. Ethan urges him to take the rest of the day off, take Kasey out after the tour and treat her to a night on the town.

Ending the call, Ethan flops back against his bed and smirks, everything falling into place. "Perfect. Add matchmaking to the list of my impressive skills." He stares up at the ceiling, expecting sleep to claim him quickly, but instead he just peers up at the fresh white paint with a vague grimace on his face. He's still laying there a few hours later when Spud returns, quietly kicking his shoes off and padding through the house. When he knocks on Ethan's door, Ethan smirks a little and rolls over. "Come in."

Spud enters and pauses at the darkness before approaching the bed, resting a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Were you asleep, sir?"

"Not really," he drawls. "So how did the tour with Kasey go?"

Spud hesitates, then licks his lips and sits down next to Ethan. "Not that great," he admits with a wince. "We got along fine, I thought, but after we left the offices, well..."

Ethan sits up and raises his eyebrows at Spud, crossing his arms over his chest. "What happened?" he wonders, settling back against the pillows and waiting for an explanation.

Spud sighs. "Well, sir, first we went to that nice steak and lobster restaurant not far from the offices... she seemed to be alright with that, and there was a classical concert going on at the park so I thought perhaps she would like to go to it, but we arrived so late, it was difficult to find a place to sit. Then she just seemed bored and the night ended not long afterwards." He gnaws on his bottom lip for a moment. "Do you think I did something wrong, sir?" Ethan's shaking his head, aware that Spud isn't really looking at him, when Spud speaks again. "Perhaps this dating thing just isn't for me..."

Ethan sighs and tugs Spud closer, resting his chin on top of his head and half hugging him. "Oh please, it sounds like you did pretty well for your first time. You'll try again, it'll go better. You'll see."

"I hope so, sir," he mumbles. "Women are so... daunting..." Ethan laughs, causing Spud to pout. "Sir! It's the truth."

"I guess they are," he concedes with a sigh. "But you'd be ok with trying again, right?"

Spud groans. "I suppose, sir. Do you have someone in mind?"

Ethan merely smirks at him, pondering how to best play matchmaker again once Spud is less uncertain after tonight. Spud's eyes widen and he buries his face in the pillows to hide from the prospect of another of Ethan's attempts at getting him a date, Ethan chuckling as he strokes Spud's shoulder before rolling over and closing his eyes. This time, he falls asleep quickly.

He gives Spud a few days to decompress, relax in his own skin once more. It's Friday when he tries again, Nashville nightlife bustling. This time he calls Marie Travers and convinces her that she should get out of the house for awhile. He claims that he and a friend are going out for a meal later on but, closer to the time, calls her back. "Hey, I'm sorry, Marie, my aunt needs me for something. Would you mind going to dinner with my friend anyway? He's been looking forward to getting out of the office and having some fun all day, and I don't want to disappoint him."

He holds his breath until she agrees, smirking as soon as he hangs up. It fades quickly, however, once he goes poolside and settles down on the sun kissed patio, staring out over the crystal blue water. Swimming is never that much fun when he's alone, since he and Spud always race and find other games to do in the water. He closes his eyes and tries just to tan, but that isn't as relaxing as he'd assumed either, his mind racing with thoughts. Of what Spud and Marie will do tonight, if she'll like it better than Kasey did. He sees no reason why she wouldn't, since his memories of Marie are that she's a very quiet, calm, easily agreeable woman.

Despite this, he can't find any sort of calm. Drifts his feet in the water and stares ahead blankly, his lips twisted unpleasantly as the sun sets and darkness claims the sky overhead. Wonders if Spud will kiss Marie goodnight before heading home, how _that'll_ go. If her calm will help ease his nerves, or if he'll lose all focus and devolve into a babbling mess before giving up and stumbling back to the car. Ethan grunts and falls back against the cement, staring up at the stars. "Whatever, I can't hold his hand every step of the way. He'll be ok." _I hope..._

He drifts, lulled by the stars and the cacophony of insects and other sounds of nature. He doesn't fall asleep, some of his senses still on high alert, so he observes when a car pulls up and the door slams, followed by the front door, and footsteps wandering around the house. Spud finds him soon enough, sitting down next to him and staring up at the stars too. Before Ethan can wake up enough to ask, he sighs. "I don't think this dating thing is for me, sir."

"Why not?" he asks softly.

"We went bowling and to a Chinese place," Spud explains. "I was trying for lowkey and I think she liked it well enough... but then while we were in the car, a song came on and she... she just started sobbing, sir. I didn't know what to do." He grimaces and stares down at his hands. "She explained as I tried to comfort her that it was _their_ song, her and her ex-boyfriend's. So I dropped her off at her house, she apologized and... that was it."

Ethan releases an exhausted breath, feeling bad for Spud as he tries to formulate a proper response. "Well, you know, don't give up. That was only two tries, both that failed for reasons that weren't your fault. Both were very solid attempts by you, and there are a lot of women out there who would be more than pleased to go on a date with you. Alright?"

Spud sighs and nods, leaning against him. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Spud," he mumbles, running through the list of women he knows who would probably be a better choice for his best friend. After sleeping on it and even making a written list of single women he knows, he looks up and sighs, staring out at the mid-morning sun gleaming against the pool. It's a beautiful day, the house is quiet, and he knows it's the prime time to think about the perfect match for his best friend, but he just can't focus on it anymore.

Bowling, that park concert, even the lobster and pizza places, sounds like such perfect dates. He can't figure out why the women, especially Kasey, would dismiss it all so easily. He sighs and scrubs at his face, looking back down at the list of names. "Ah, screw it," he grunts, tearing up at the sheet of paper and scattering it into a nearby trash can. Standing up, he walks outside and wanders around the grounds, gnawing at his bottom lip as he ponders his next move. How Spud might react.

Ethan even gives it a few days, but the idea doesn't fade away or lose its allure, no matter how he looks at it. He'd never had an easy time with trusting people, and the last few times he had dared to, he'd paid for it, as had Spud. _So,_ he thinks, _if I only trust myself... then I guess..._

They're wandering through the halls of TNA that Wednesday when Spud finally mentions it again. "Sir, did you... not find any other women who may have been interested in going on a date with me?" There's an awkward pause and Spud quickly exclaims, "If not, that's fine, I understand- I was merely curious, sir, you see-"

Ethan holds a hand up to stop his rambling before turning to face Spud. "I didn't really look for anyone else, Spud. I had a list of possibilities but... I've always thought life's too short for mere _possibilities_. I prefer sure bets, you know?" He smirks a little, ducking his head. "The more I thought about it, the more I saw only one real option for your next date attempt."

Spud looks uncertain, a little fearful, but he clears his throat and squares his shoulders. "Who, then, sir?"

Ethan's lips twitch into a vague smirk. "Me, Spud." He glances around, then draws Spud into a slightly quieter part of the arena. "I trust very few people with things that are important to me, Spud, and the numbers in both categories are dwindling weekly. So why not just make everything simple and do what makes the most sense?" Spud is confused and speechless, gaping up at him, and Ethan shakes his head. "Would you like to go on a date with me, Spud?"

Spud swallows hard. "You... you would want to, sir?"

"Yes, that's why I'm asking, Spud. Because I want to." He stares down at Spud, realizing that it's true. The bowling and the concert in the park, and whatever else Spud could think of, it sounds _amazing_ , no matter what the two women's hang ups were, and he wishes he'd thought of this sooner, save them both time and pain. "What do you think?"

"I think- I think it sounds bloody fantastic, sir," Spud finally manages to say. "Thank you."

Ethan grins and wraps an arm around him, the two of them walking side by side down the hall. They'll have to figure out details, like when and where, and how to keep it between them and as discreet as possible, but for now, he feels lighter than he has in awhile.

Spud's steps slow as he looks up at his best friend. "One question, sir?"

"What, Spud?"

He shuffles around for a moment. "What is your first date kissing policy, sir?"

 _This_ stops Ethan in his tracks before he laughs softly, squeezing Spud's shoulder. "I guess you'll find out soon enough, Spud."


End file.
